Started with a Spark
by addictedtotwilight79
Summary: Bella is rescued by Edward, a firefighter in Boston. He feels differently about her, more so than anyone he's met before? Is she the one? Rated M for Lemons. AH OOC
1. Chapter 1

**This story was written for Fandom Gives Back. The lovely Coldplaywhore and Maggiemay14 purchased this and I want to say thank you for your donation, hope you like it ladies!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own, Stephenie Meyers does. **

**BPOV**

"What do you want from me, Jacob? It's over. Stop calling me!"

He was so damn oblivious to the fact that we were over, calling me constantly, sending me flowers at work. This had to stop. It had been three months since I ended our relationship. Jacob had been my first long term boyfriend, and everything had been great in the beginning. Eventually, I just got...bored, for lack of a better word. We had a routine every week. I would go to his apartment on Friday, stay for the weekend, and he would come to my place Tuesday night and stay over.

Our sex life sucked. At first, I thought it was because everything was new and exciting. I had come to the conclusions that I liked him more before we started having sex. Jacob was a good kisser, at least, but once we got naked, it became all about him, how he was feeling, what he wanted. He never gave me an orgasm. Ever. I once counted how long it took him to get off, and he made it to forty-five seconds before he was done, groaning about how fantastic it was. So, after nine months of unsatisfying sex, lacking affection and arguments that came from nowhere, I was done. I knew enough about the opposite sex to realize that I deserved better, and it took me breaking it off form him to realize what he lost.

"Please, Bella. Just give me one more chance."

He sounded so sad on the phone, and I hated doing this to him, but he just wasn't getting it.

"No, Jacob. I'm sorry, but we're done. It's been three months. Please stop."

I had resorted to pleading with him. This constant calling was taking a toll on me, especially since he started calling my office. The calls he'd made to my home were enough to piss me off, and luckily he had ended up stepping back a bit when I threatened to change my number. His calls to my office started two weeks ago, and that made it harder to hide how upset they made me. I was in front of my co-workers when he called during office hours, and it restricted my reactions to him..

I was alone in the office tonight, and I normally didn't yell at Jacob, but maybe that was what I needed to do now.

"I love you, Bella. Please, I need you," he begged, and I snapped.

"Go away, Jacob. We're through, over. I don't love you anymore, and I never will. Stop calling me, or I will call the cops," I yelled before slamming the phone down.

I sat back in my chair and ran my hands over my face. Hopefully he would finally back off and leave me alone.

It was eight in the evening, and I still had a few more pages left of the story I was editing. I was on edge from Jacob's phone call and wanted nothing more than to leave, but of course, this had to get done. I wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Deciding to grab a cup of coffee to wake me up before continuing, I made my way to the break room. Hopefully the caffeine boost would help keep me focused until I could finish my project. I sure as hell hoped so.

I made it back to my desk, setting my coffee down and settling at my desk. I decided to toss my hair up into a messy bun to get my hair out of my face. I was still in my button-up blouse, skirt, and heels, so I wasn't very comfortable. It wasn't like I hadn't been stuck in this situation before, late at the office, all alone. I should have known it would happen again. I could never remember to keep a change of clothes here. I would forget my head if it wasn't attached.

I turned my chair to look out the large window in my office. It overlooked the city lights of Boston, and I took a moment to calm myself, enjoying the view from my desk. My office was on the tenth floor, and I loved looking at the city at night, it always settled my nerves and helped me when I needed to focus. After a few minutes, I turned back to my desk to pick up the first page, adjusting my glasses before I smelled something funny.

_What the hell is that?_

Before I had time to process what the smell was, a loud, piercing sound rang through my ears.

_The fire alarm. Oh, God._

I quickly pushed my chair back and opened my drawer to grab my purse. I ran through the cubicles in the larger room outside my office before reaching the stair exit. My office was at the opposite end of the floor from the exit, and it took me longer to get to the door than it ever seemed to before. I shoved the door open, forgetting to check and see if it was hot. My heart was pounding in my throat and threatening to break out of my chest. The sound of the alarm screamed in my ears, warning me to get out, but I couldn't focus. All logical thoughts had left me, and I was soon engulfed in smoke. My eyes burned as my arms reached in front of me, my hands fumbling to find the guardrail to the stairs. I coughed, each breath getting harder to take. I just wanted to get out of there.

_Please, let me get out of here. _

I didn't even think to drop to my knees and crawl as I had been instructed so many times in the past. The smoke was thick as it engulfed me, preventing me from seeing anything, and before I knew it, I had finally reached the rail. I thought I was safe and took a step forward, but missed my footing. The sound of cracking, my own screams and the worst pain I had ever felt simultaneously registered in my brain as I fell down the first set of stairs, tumbling over myself again and again before finally landing on the concrete padding at the bottom. I heard myself scream again, as if a third party looking at the scene, detached, everything went black.

"Miss, can you hear me?"

The beautiful voice of an angel brought me from a darkened haze. I coughed as I felt oxygen reach my lungs, rich and wonderful in my painful, burning chest. I had some sort of mask pressed against my face and was grateful for the breath it allowed me to take.

"You're okay. Just breathe," the deep voice instructed, and I took a few more breaths before I felt him secure the mask around my head.

"I got you," he said, his voice velvet and smooth, reassuring as I felt his solid arm move under my thighs and around my back.

"I'm gonna get you out of here."

I moaned as he lifted me from the floor. I couldn't process the noises surrounding me.

_Sounds like Darth Vader's breathing,_ I thought, amused at myself, before I focused what little attention that I had left on the fact that I was being carried down the stairs. I tried to open my eyes to see the face of the man who was saving me, but the burn that caused tears to well in my eyes when I tried to open them made it impossible for me to see anything.

"I've got her," the voice said. "Were coming down now. Yeah, she's breathing. I need an EMT ready. She needs to be taken to the hospital immediately," he paused, and I heard another voice telling him they were ready.

"Don't worry, you'll be okay," I was sure he was talking to me again now, and I wished that I could figure out how to respond. "Just stay with me...listen to my voice and keep breathing. I need you to stay awake."

He was moving faster now, gliding down the stairs as I tried to hold onto his words, focusing on them and the breaths I was able to take instead of the pain throbbing in every part of me, threatening to pull me into the black again.

"We're almost out, just a few more feet, and you'll be safe," he said as I heard a door open.

I felt more arms on me then.

"No, I got her," said the voice of my hero.

He stopped and removed the oxygen mask from my face, and I tried to open my eyes. I wanted to see the person who had saved me, maybe say something to him, but when my gaze finally focused on the man who held me in his arms, I was met with the most intense green eyes I had ever seen. They looked so familiar, but I couldn't remember having ever seeing him before. White surrounded those piercing eyes. It was also smudged on his cheeks where they met the black soot that was caked onto a sharp, defined jaw.

He was beautiful. Something in his eyes drew me in; something in my soul screamed at me to stay, to find out more about him, and I wanted to, more than anything, but I couldn't hold on. He looked back at me, his eyes searching mine, but for what, I didn't know. My vision started to blur as everything began to fade back into the darkness. I heard him yell for me to stay awake, but I just couldn't hold on.

**EPOV**

"Miss! Miss! Don't you fucking leave me. Stay with me," I yelled, turning my head so my ear was against her mouth.

I needed to check her breathing. I couldn't lose her; I had just gotten her out of there.

_Not this one, please, God, not her._

Something in me needed her to be okay. She _had_ to be okay.

_Thank God,_ I sighed in relief. _Still breathing._

"We need to take her, Edward. Her leg is broken, and I am sure with the the smoke inhalation and possible head trauma, she blacked out. She needs to go to the hospital. Now," Rosalie explained.

The look in her eye told me she was serious, and she moved the stretcher closer to me, yelling at me to put her on.

I never questioned Rosalie before. She was a damn good EMT and never took shit from anyone. I did as she asked, and she immediately began checking the woman's pulse, taking her blood pressure and hooking a mask around her head to give additional oxygen. The other EMT put a neck brace on her and stabilized her leg. All I could do was stand and watch, helpless to do anything. Her life was out of my hands, and my stomach sank at the thought.

"We're going to take her to Boston Medical. She needs to be looked at by an orthopaedic surgeon right away. Lucky you got to her when you did," Rosalie gave me a small smile before they collapsed the bed and put her in the ambulance.

I pulled my helmet off, running my fingers through my hair as I watched the ambulance drive away. Sirens blared, noises came from everyone around me, but it was all a blur. I couldn't focus on any one thing, and when I shut my eyes, all I could see were those large, chocolate eyes staring back at me. It was as if they saw right through me, and I knew then my life would never be the same.

I was lost in my thoughts, trying to figure out how I could see her again, before a large hand landed on my shoulder. I jumped and turned to see Emmett, concern written all over his face.

"Jesus, Em. You scared the shit out of me," I sighed.

Emmett had been my friend since we were kids. When I said I wanted to be a firefighter, he said he wanted to be a firefighter. Our parents both thought we would grow out of the idea, but when we graduated college, we both took the CPAT test and went through fourteen weeks of training before we were stationed at the same firehouse. Our friend Jasper was the last to join us, but we pulled some strings to get him stationed where we were. I was lucky to have my best friends with me, but every time we all woke up to the alarm, I couldn't help the worry that came over me at the possibility of losing one of them. I had a dangerous job, and I knew something bad could happen to me as well, but I knew I couldn't handle losing one of them. They were all I had since I lost my parents five years ago.

"You alright, man?" Emmett's voice pulled me out of my thoughts and back to reality, his concern clear in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm okay. It's just been a while since I had to pull someone out who was hurt that bad," my voice was low, and I wasn't even sure he could hear me. I didn't really care to have a conversation right now anyway.

"I know, but she's in great hands," he said, patting me on the shoulder before turning and walking away from me, leaving me alone to sort through everything that just happened. I think sometimes he knew me better then I knew myself.

I stood there for a minute, trying to figure out what happened. What was it about her that my mind responded so strongly to? I had seen plenty of beautiful women before, and I never had that kind of reaction. The worst part was, I didn't even know her name.

It wasn't long before I made my way back to the truck. I could see everyone moving around me, people I had seen many times before, but it was as if my mind wasn't cooperating, wouldn't process the scene surrounding me or the people in it.

"Edward, snap out of it, man," Jasper said as I walked by him. He stood next to the truck and was snapping his fingers at me.

I guess it worked, because I responded nicely with a "fuck off" before jumping in the back.

"What's with you man? You save one chick and now you're all emo? It's not like you haven't done this before. It's been seven years. What's got your panties in a bunch?" he asked with his obnoxious laugh before jumping in next to me.

"Nothing, man, I just need a shower, I think. I'll be fine once I get this shit off me," I responded, running my hands through my hair again before giving Jasper a small smile and staring out the window. He didn't say another word.

It wasn't long before the rest of the guys had the truck loaded, and we were on our way back to the station. I jumped out as soon as we stopped and dropped my helmet, boots, pants and jacket in my station before heading up the stairs to shower. I ignored the sounds of the rest of the guys laughing and congratulating each other on a job well done. I just wanted to shower and sleep, then maybe tomorrow I could figure out how to find her. Boston Medical might be a large hospital, but I was not leaving there until I saw her and knew she was okay. If I had to, I could get a hold of Rosalie. I was sure she would have a name for me. I only needed to make sure she was alright, then I would be okay. I just had to keep telling myself that.

* * *

"Excuse me, I'm trying to find someone who arrived by ambulance last night, a young woman around twenty-five. She had a broken leg and was in an office fire," I told the older woman sitting at the help desk in the main lobby of the hospital.

"Do you have a name?" she replied, her hesitation clear.

"Um," I shifted my hands through my hair, "no."

"Well, I'm sorry, sir, but we do have a privacy policy here, and I can't give out any personal information to strangers," she said shortly, looking back to her computer screen, completely ignoring that I was still standing there.

"Please, I really need to make sure she is okay," I responded, flashing her the best smile that I could manage and adding an extra "please" for good measure.

She looked back at me and asked the question I wasn't sure I had the answer for.

"Why do you need to see someone you don't know?"

She had a good point. Why did I need to see her when she was just another person I had saved? It wasn't like I had never rescued someone before. I had actually saved hundreds in the years that I had been a firefighter. Why now, all of the sudden, did I need to make sure that _this _person was okay? I could have just waited at the station for word from the chief that she was alright or not. He usually had that information within a couple of days, and that's what I usually did. What was different about this one?

"Can I be honest with you...um...Charlotte?" I caught her name off the tag on her shirt as I leaned over the counter and tried to lower my voice as much as possible. She simply nodded for me to continue but didn't reply.

"Well, you see, I was at the building last night where the fire was. I was with her when she was pulled out, and I would just feel a lot better knowing that she's alright." I explained, standing up straight and rested my hands on the counter in front of me.

"Um," she cleared her throat and continued, "let me see if I can get a hold of someone in emergency; maybe they will know something."

She picked up her phone, resting the handle on her shoulder before dialing what I assumed to be the ER.

I heard her explain what I had told her about the incident and she replied with an occasional "uh-huh" and "yeah" before writing something down on a small piece of paper and thanking the person before she hung up.

"Don't tell anyone I gave this to you okay?" she smiled at me as she handed the piece of paper over across the counter.

I looked down and read the name.

Bella Swan, room five hundred and one. Beautiful swan, I couldn't have picked a better name for her if I tried.

I jumped up and leaned over the counter to give Charlotte a quick kiss on the cheek. I whispered thank you in her ear before turning and running for the elevators. I was impatient to get to her floor and hit the up button several times, even though the white light indicated that once had been enough. My heart was pounding furiously in my chest, and I just couldn't wait to see her. Before I could think any further, the doors opened. I entered and hit the button for the fifth floor, and finally, the doors were opening, and I was there. I made my way to the nurses' station and asked where her room was. I was quickly pointed in the right direction.

I slowed my pace, suddenly realized that I had no idea what I was going to say when I saw her. I made it to her door, which was closed, and pressed my back up against the wall next to it. I leaned forward and braced my hands on my knees, taking a few breaths to calm myself.

_What am I going to say to her?_

_Will she remember me?_

_Does she even want to see me?_

I had to see her, so why was I standing here outside of her room? I had made it this far, and I was not backing out now. I stood to open her door, and once I entered the room and rounded the corner, I saw her. My breath hitched, and my heart swelled as I took all of her in. Her leg was set in a purple cast; her head was tilted to the side, eyes closed as her long brown hair fell over her shoulders, resting on the swells of her breasts. I could see the rise and fall of her chest from the doorway, so I knew she was breathing, slow and steady. She had large bruises up and down her forearms and a nasty bruise on the right front side of her forehead. It looked like her arms took most of the beating with her fall, and luckily, she hadn't broken anything other than her leg.

I was unable to look away from her, completely mesmerized by the sounds of her deep breathing as she slept.

_She's okay._

I was trying to commit every part of her to memory. If this was the last time I would be able to see her, I needed to remember all of her. Something about her drew me in, making me feel as though I had to be with her. I moved to sit in the chair next to her bed, my eyes never leaving her beautiful face. I didn't want to wake her, so I waited.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but I must have dozed off, because I startled at the light touch that ran slow circles on the back of my hand. I concentrated on the heat it generated through every part of me. It felt like intense sparks hitting every cell inside me, and I knew then.

_It's her. _

"Hi," I said as my head darted up from her bed.

"Hi," she responded quietly.

Bella's eyes focused on my hands while she continued tracing circles with her fingers.

"How are you doing?" I asked, still concerned there was more wrong with her than what I could see.

"I...I'm...okay, I think," there was a long pause before she continued. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to make sure you were okay," I pulled my hand away slowly which caused her hand to rest next to her thigh.

She looked up at me as I nervously ran my hand through my hair, I was sure that she must have had some idea of who I was, because she was touching me just five seconds ago, but maybe she usually did that kind of thing.

"Why?" she asked, her voice so quiet that I almost didn't hear her.

"I don't really know how to explain, Bella," I laughed to myself. How was I going to tell her I didn't want to be anywhere that she wasn't?

"Please, tell me," her eyes held so much emotion as they searched mine for some sort of answer.

I wasn't sure what she was looking for, but I would try to tell her, and hopefully she wouldn't think I was crazy.

"When I pulled you out of that fire, something in me clicked into place. It was almost as if I had been missing a piece of myself, and when I laid eyes on you, I found it. I know that whole love at first sight is bullshit...well I used to think it was, but when I saw you, everything changed. I would like to get to know you better, maybe see if I'm crazy, or if there really is something there between us," I said, looking down at her hand when I finished my statement, resting mine back beside her.

She slowly reached out for my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, and when I looked back into her chocolate eyes, I noticed a small tear falling down her cheek. She smiled at me.

"I'd like that."

_**Six weeks later...**_

"Coming," I yelled as I jogged to my front door.

I wasn't expecting anyone to show up, and I wasn't really dressed for company. I had on a black wife beater and jogging pants, nothing exciting. It was eight on a Friday evening, and I was just getting ready to relax after finishing another forty-eight-hour shift that morning. I was already listening to some music and planned on watching a movie before going to sleep. I had just finished talking to Bella about fifteen minutes before. She had mentioned that she was going to go to sleep as well. We were supposed to meet up tomorrow and grab some breakfast then go down to Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall to walk around. Bella's cast had been removed this morning, and she wanted to go out and celebrate. I couldn't be happier for her.

We had spent the last six weeks talking over the phone and sharing emails. I did take her out a few times to dinner and wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. Unfortunately, our work schedules made that difficult. I would have liked to have seen her more, but we seemed to make it work with what little time we did have.

On our third date, I took her to Maggiano's, my favorite Italian restaurant. It being one of the nicer restaurants in town, I dressed up in a nice black suit and tie. Bella had worn a deep blue, knee length dress. She had been absolutely breathtaking, and although I tried to keep my thoughts gentlemanly, I knew that dress would have looked so much better on my floor. We still hadn't even kissed at that point, and so many times I'd had to stop myself from grabbing her and claiming her as mine. Our chemistry was undeniable, the way she felt underneath my hand on her lower back as we walked, how her hand fit perfectly in mine when I was driving. I would catch her staring at me but she never said a word.

When I pulled up in front of her apartment that evening, I had put the car in park shutting off the engine before stepping out to open her door for her. She grabbed my hand, and I walked her up the steps to her front door. She wore a walking boot for her cast, so it had been a little easier then the first two dates' drop offs. She had fumbled with her keys, and I knew then that she wanted to kiss me as much as I wanted to kiss her. I leaned into her, cupping her cheek and running the pad of my thumb over her full lips before meeting them with mine. I could still taste the hint of wine on her lips as I slowly deepened the kiss. Her hands moved up my shoulders before sliding behind my neck. I knew I had to stop at that point, even though I wanted to pull her inside and take her. That wasn't who I was. My mother had raised me better than that. I slowly parted from her mouth and met her lips a few more times before backing away. She smiled at me, and I wished her a good night, telling her to sleep well. I made my way back to my car and watched as she went inside. That was three days ago...

I pulled myself from my thoughts as the second knock sounded against my door. I opened it, shocked at who was waiting for me.

"Bella, um, what are you doing here? Everything okay?"

She was the last person I expected, and when I saw her, my heart beat furiously against my chest. She was wearing a long rain coat, and my mind immediately thought of all the naughty things she could be wearing underneath.

"Everything is fine, Edward, but I forgot to tell you something. Can I come in?"

I moved to the side, allowing her entrance into my apartment. She walked passed me, and I shut the door behind Bella, turning to face her. She was standing in my living room, her eyes watching the flames dance in my fireplace.

I moved to stand behind her, circling my arms around her waist.

"Are you sure you're alright, baby?" I asked, burying my face into her hair and smelling the scent of her strawberry shampoo that drove me absolutely crazy.

"It's hard to believe this all started with a spark. How cliché, but if that wire didn't spark and set the fire in my office building, I would have never met you. I had to come by and tell you in person how much you mean to me and," she turned to face me, her eyes set on mine before she hugged me, her head resting on my chest, "and to tell you thank you...for everything."

"You don't have to thank me, Bella," I said before kissing the top of her head, inhaling deeply again before letting out a ragged breath.

"Yes, I do, and I am so sorry it took me this long to say it."

"You know I would do it again in a heartbeat, everything. I'm just glad you're here with me now," I said quietly.

There was so much more I wanted to say to her, like how I never wanted to be away from her, how I felt physically empty if I went more then one day without hearing her voice, but I still wasn't sure how she felt.

Was I willing to put my heart on the line?

Yeah, we had spent time together and held hands, but we only shared one kiss and didn't really discuss what "we" were. I knew I wanted to claim her as mine, to put a title on what we were, and I already knew without a doubt that she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

"Edward, can we sit down for a minute?"

She pulled away from me, grabbing my hand and leading me over to the couch. She let go of me and sat down, while I moved to sit next to her.

"Where do I start?" she began, looking nervously at her fingers.

I was already worried, and that line scared the shit out of me. My jaw flexed, and my hands balled into fists at my sides.

"No, no, no, Edward. It's not bad, trust me," she said, and I relaxed slightly at her reassurance, moving my hands to rest on my thighs.

"Okay," I responded, giving her a small smile.

"I want this," she continued, moving her hand back and forth, pointing to me and her, "I want us."

That was all it took for me to grab her, pull her to me so I could claim her mouth with mine. That was all I needed. She wanted me.

"God, Bella. You have no idea how long I have wanted you to say that," I told her between kissing her mouth and running my lips along her jaw and up to her ear. I grabbed her waist and pulled her till she was straddling my lap.

"I want you so fucking bad," I groaned, while she panted heavily.

I ran my hands down her bare thighs, eager to find out what was under the coat she was still wearing. When I made it to the top of her thigh and felt nothing, I almost lost it.

"Bella, baby, please tell me you're wearing something under this coat."

I pulled back to look at her. She was so breathtaking with her plump, swollen lips, her eyes full of lust. I was lost in her, and I never wanted to find a way out.

"Why don't you find out for yourself?" she responded, her voice dripping sex, and my dick responded to the sound and her words instantly.

It had been so long since I'd had sex, nine months to be exact. I wasn't the type of guy to pick up a quick fuck. Yeah, I loved sex, but it meant something to me. I know it made me sound like a girl, but I was never willing to do it with just anyone. My right hand had worked just fine for that for the time being, and lately since I met Bella, that little ritual had become a daily routine.

Having Bella in front of me, possibly naked under her coat, was what I had been fantasizing about for the last six weeks. I had wanted to take her so many times before, have her underneath me while I filled her completely. My body ached when I was away from her, and when she was with me, my body vibrated with such an intensity I had never before felt. I could never tell her in words how much I wanted her. I would have to show her.

I slowly made my way up her thigh to her hip and circled my hand around her waist. When I felt nothing, I groaned.

"Jesus, Bella, are you trying to kill me?" I groaned, my dick throbbing against the thin material of my pants.

I could feel how hot she was between her thighs, and my body needed to feel more of her.

I continued running my hands over her hips, passing over her ass and up her sides before repeating the same path again. With every other pass of her hips I would draw my thumbs closer to the junction of her thighs near the mound of her pussy. She would gasp every time I got closer, teasing her repeatedly. Her body started to move above me, and all I could do was watch her in a trance, completely mesmerized by the way her body reacted to me. Small moans escaped from her parted lips, and I groaned when I felt the wetness of her arousal.

"Please, Edward. I need you...so fucking bad. I can't wait anymore...make love to me," she said breathlessly, her hands on either side of my face as she searched my eyes for some kind of response to her words.

Did she think I would run away?

Did she not know how bad I wanted to make love to her?

I knew I loved her, I just couldn't get the words out. Sometimes those three words ended relationships. I wanted it to be the beginning of ours, the beginning of us...as a couple. I didn't want to date anyone else. I only wanted her. She was it for me...forever.

I didn't respond to her statement with words, I simply grabbed her face and pulled her lips to mine again, pouring everything that my heart wanted to tell her into that kiss.

I stood, lifting her with me, her lips still attached to mine as her hands pulled on my hair gently. I gripped her ass tightly, walking us over to the rug in front of the fireplace. The heat from the flames poured over us as I laid her down gently. Her legs fell from my hips, and I took a moment to look her over before undoing the buttons to her jacket slowly. My iPod picked that second to switch to "You Are Mine" by Mute Math. I couldn't tell her exactly what I was feeling, but this song defined how I felt for her in a perfect way.

With every button undone, I took a moment to run my fingers over the newly exposed skin. I finally reached the last button, which was lined up perfectly with her thighs. I leaned down and trailed my tongue along the skin peaking through her coat, and popped the final button open. I pushed aside the offending fabric and took a second to look her over. My lungs failed me as I took in every inch of her. She was an angel, bathed in the soft glow from the fire. Her skin was silky and smooth beneath my fingertips as I traced her neck, down along the curves of her firm, round breasts, such a contrast to the texture of my hands, rough from my years on the job.

There were no words between us, only soft moans coming from Bella as I explored her with my lips and hands. I made my way to her hips, kissing along her pelvic bone before sitting back on the heels of my feet. I pulled her hands toward me, and she sat up, allowing me to pull her coat all the way off of her. I tossed it to the couch, grabbing her face in my hands. Our mouths met again, and I teased my tongue along her bottom lip. I entered her mouth, and when our tongues met, I groaned into her.

After a few moments, I pulled away from our kiss and lowered her again onto the rug. My lips began working along her neck and up to her earlobe, before I pulled it between my teeth, biting gently. She gasped, her moans growing louder as I moved down to her breasts. I trailed my tongue around each nipple, giving soft bites and slow licks. Once I had payed proper attention to both, I licked down along her stomach and over to her hips.

I reached her bare pussy, smiling to myself at how fucking hot it looked, before I glanced up at Bella. I pushed open her legs, sliding my tongue along her slit. She gasped, her hands immediately finding my hair and gripping it hard. I worked her in a slow steady rhythm, flicking her clit on the way up and teasing her entrance on the way down. Her groans and cries quickened, letting me know she was enjoying this as much as I was. I looked up, my eyes meeting hers as her chest contracted and expanded through the ragged breaths she was taking. I pressed my tongue at her entrance, slowly circling around before moving forward. She tasted so good, and as I moaned against her, the vibrations sent her over the edge. She cried out as I continued to lick and suck while she rode the long waves of her release. Her back arched off the ground, her hands gripping my hair tightly as she pushed my face against her. Watching her orgasm was the sexiest thing I had ever seen.

I slowed my mouth against her, watching as she tried to catch her breath. The glow from the fire causing the sweat on her skin to glisten warmly. She looked incredible, and I was momentarily distracted by the radiance of her skin, forgetting that I still wanted...no needed...to be inside of her. I moved away from her and stood up, reaching a hand out to her and asking her to stand up as well. Once she was on her feet, I picked her up and wrapped her legs around my waist. She laughed into my shoulder before burying her face in my neck. Her kisses and licks along my ear made walking to my bedroom very difficult. I moved her against the wall in the hallway outside my door and kissed her hard. She moaned against me and clawed at my shoulders.

"I need you inside me, now," she whispered against my ear.

All coherent thought left me as I pulled her away from the wall and rushed in my room. I moved us onto my bed, my clothed dick pressed against her. She was so warm and soft.

I moved back and pulled my shirt over my head, quickly moving to lower my jogging pants and boxers. Once I was naked, I looked down at her. She was busy looking me over as thoroughly as I had done with her earlier. She slowly ran her hands over my pecks and when her fingers ran over my eight pack, my muscles flexed. Her touch was light but so intense. I couldn't wait any longer.

I moved to open the drawer at my night stand and grabbed a condom. I ripped the foil open and rolled the latex along my shaft. I saw Bella look quickly, and her throat constricted from a tight swallow.

"I'll be gentle, baby," I murmured, knowing that I ran on the larger size. I would take it slow. I didn't want to rush this anyway.

She nodded and gave me a small smile as I lined myself up at her entrance. I pushed forward slowly, easing into her inch by inch until I was fully inside. I pressed my face against her neck as my hands buried in her hair. When I pulled back to look at her, I noticed a small tear gliding down her cheek.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my voice tight from being buried in her. Her walls clenched tightly around me.

I was consumed with the worry that I had hurt her, that I fucking did something that I told myself I would never do. I began to pull out of her, but she stopped me.

"I'm fine, Edward. It's just...," she trailed off, "you're not hurting me at all. It's actually the opposite. You feel amazing. I guess I'm just overwhelmed. Nobody has ever made me feel like this before."

When she finished speaking, she looked at me. Her eyes held so much that I didn't understand yet. In that moment, I wished I could read her mind.

"I've never felt this way with anyone before, either, Bella," I said, the words holding so much more than their meaning.

I kissed her softly before moving inside of her. Her eyes closed as soft moans moved past her lips. Every thrust caused her to gasp and flex her hips up to meet mine. Soon we were both panting against each other. Her legs held tight around my waist, her hands and fingers digging into my back and shoulders. My arms held me above her while I continued my movements. Our lips were only inches apart as we shared our bodies, and the air between us as I gave her a piece of me that I had never shared with anyone else.

"Edward," she moaned against my mouth, "I'm gonna...I'm...please, cum with me."

I grabbed her lips with mine again, moving one hand behind her to cradle her head. I couldn't get her close enough. I picked up my movements and growled into her mouth. She whimpered in response, and when I felt her walls squeeze and release me, I let go. She moved her hands along my back, down to my ass before she pulled me hard against her. I had never had such an intense orgasm before in my life. We both rode through our releases together, and the way that our bodies moved with one another was incredible.

I rested my head on her shoulder while we both tried to catch our breath. I was so fucking tired and decided the thing we both needed now was some sleep. I slowly pulled out of her, and she sighed as I pulled the condom off, tying it before tossing it in the wastebasket.

I moved back to her. Her eyes were closed, and a small smile played at her lips. I laid down beside her, pulling the blankets over us.

"What are you thinking, baby?" I asked before turning her back to me so I could spoon up behind her.

"Nothing, really. Just how happy you make me. Getting hurt in that fire was the best thing that could have ever happened to me," she said, her voice trailing off.

"You make me happy, too, Bella. I would never want you to get hurt, but a part of me is glad I was the one that found you. Pulling you out of that building, knowing you were okay, then thinking you were gone," I couldn't find the right words. "I wasn't sure I could live without you, and I didn't even know you yet. I'm just grateful I found you at the hospital and that you're here with me now."

I pulled her closer to me, moving my hand up to hers and lacing our fingers together.

"You're mine, and I'm not letting you go," she whispered, the darkness of the room capturing her words and suspending their promise in the air around us.

My eyes closed ,and I smiled before drifting off.

I had dreams of us together, with kids, with a house, loving each other forever. I knew then that she held the missing piece to my heart.

**a/n: Please let me know what you think! **

**:o)**

**Thanks to my beta Sparagus, love you, chicky.**


	2. Chapter 2 Thank you

**A/N: This was written for the Haiti compilation put together by the wonderful MsKathy, with help from Manyafandom. To those of you that read it there, thanks for your donation! Hope you all enjoyed. We were told we could post a day early for the Grateful Project. I can't thank you all enough for reading, your kind words and alerts, make me happier then I could ever tell you. Now on with the story...**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Stephenie Meyers owns all.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_Six months. _

That was all it had been.

We'd been together for six months, and I was freaking the fuck out as I stared at the ring. It was the one I had searched for relentlessly for weeks and finally found. I'd had it for three weeks now, and I was too chicken shit to ever bring the damn thing home, afraid Bella would find it. So every time I was at work, I would take it out of my locker, open it and try to get up the courage to ask.

I stared at it as if the diamond held all the answers I needed.

The worst for me was the three days we spent apart while I was on shift at the firehouse. We talked on the phone, but it was always late at night when the rest of the guys were asleep.

While we were apart, my mind raced with everything Bella. Every single date we'd had, every touch, every kiss ran through my mind. By the third day of being away from her on any given shift, I could almost feel her next to me.

I wanted to come up with some special way to ask her to marry me, but the whole ring in the champagne glass type of proposal wasn't my thing. I bought her flowers, opened her door, made her dinner, but I wasn't exactly a romantic type of guy. I was going to have to come up with something good for this, though.

_Shit. _

I was screwed.

I ran my fingers over the band one more time before closing the lid and placing it in the back of my locker. I grabbed a towel, iPod, my shorts and t-shirt for bed. Luckily things were pretty quiet, and the other guys were either passed out or watching a movie. All I wanted was to take a shower and head to bed myself. My shift would finally end at eight the next morning, and I couldn't wait to see Bella.

I could never wait to see Bella.

I had a picture of us taped to the inside of my locker. It reminded me of the day I knew I had to have her as my wife.

I had convinced her to move in with me a month ago. I told her it would allow us to spend more time together, even if some of that time was asleep. We had reached the point of Bella staying over with me most nights I had off, anyway, but I wanted her with me every night. I wanted to know that she was in my bed, and on those days that we both didn't have to work, I wanted to stay in that bed, hold her next to me and never let her go.

To be honest, I had never wanted her to leave after the first time that we'd made love.

If I was being really honest, I had never wanted to let her go after the first moment I had laid eyes on her.

She was everything to me.

The fear of losing her was always in the back of my mind, and with me being a firefighter, I knew that for Bella, there was always the fear that something would happen to me. I tried to reassure her I was always safe and would come home to her. I knew that was not always a possibility, that something, anything, could happen to me.

I would sure as hell try to never let that happen.

.

My worry had always been that she would leave because of that fear, because I knew if she did, I would be devastated. One night, a week after she moved in, I responded to a really bad apartment fire. I would never forget that night as long as I lived...

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ _

_I was leaning over her, trying to get her to breathe. I checked her pulse, nothing. I took my mask off and started CPR. _

_One, two, three, four...breathe._

_Still nothing._

_One, two, three, four._

_I took a big breath of oxygen from my mask before I brought my mouth to hers. _

_Breathe._

_Nothing._

"_Edward, do you read me? Come back," I knew the voice, but I just couldn't focus on it. _

_I had to keep going; I would not give up. I continued CPR, trying to pull the oxygen from my mask to give her better breaths._

"_Edward, fuck man, you need to get out of there. We can't get the fire under control on the top floor. Shit, answer me, dammit!" _

_I could hear the words coming from my helmet. If he could just leave me the fuck alone, I could save her. _

_I had to save her._

"_Edward, you promised Bella, you need to get out now! Please man."_

_I froze at his words, every cell in my body locked as I finally saw her lifeless form in front of me. My hands together on her breast bone. She looked so much like Bella, and I had to close my eyes and shake my head to keep from picturing her face._

_He was right. I had promised Bella I would be safe, and dying in a fire from fear was not something I wanted to happen. I stepped away, put my helmet back on and took a deep breath before I responded._

"_I found one," I finally choked out, "She didn't make it. I'm coming out now." _

"_Jesus Christ, you scared the shit out of me. I'll have someone ready to meet you out front."_

_It finally registered that it was Emmett on the other end, and I was pretty sure I would get shit later for not responding._

_I could really care less about the consequences at the moment. I only wanted to get her out._

_I pulled her into my arms and carried her through her front door and down the three flights of stairs._

_When I pushed the front door open, I was met by the paramedics, their faces a blank slate as they took her from my hands and placed her on the gurney. _

"_I tried CPR. No response," I said, the words were stuck in my throat._

_As soon as they turned to wheel her away, I made my way around a corner, removed my helmet and threw up until I was dry heaving._

_Fuck._

_The ride back to the station was a blur. Words were spoken; people did things. None of it mattered._

_When we finally pulled into the firehouse, I jumped down from the truck and shed my gear. I skipped the shower, instead just grabbing my bag and heading to my truck. My shift was supposed to have been over hours ago, and the only thing that mattered to me right now was getting home to Bella. _

_Before I knew it, I was pulling into the driveway. I threw the truck in park and made my way to the front door. I focused on my shoes as I unlocked the it. When I finally had it open, I made my way inside and turned my attention to the couch._

_Bella was curled up in a blanket, remote in one hand, tissue in the other as she focused on the television. At first, I thought she was watching a sad movie, but then I saw her rocking back and forth. That was when I heard the worst sound I had ever heard._

_She was sobbing._

_I looked to see what she was watching._

_'The cause is unknown right now. All we know is that two firefighters had second and third degree burns and that there was one fatality.' I saw the fire chief giving a statement, and my stomach dropped, along with my bag._

_The noise it made caused Bella's face to meet mine. Before I could move to her, she threw the blanket off her shoulders, dropped the tissue and remote and ran to me. Her arms flew around my neck while her legs wrapped around my waist._

_God, she felt so good. I wrapped my arms tighter, pulling her even closer to me while I buried my face in her hair._

"_You're okay. Oh my God, you're really okay," she sobbed against my neck. I could feel her wet tears against my skin._

"_I'm here, baby. I'm okay." _

_I tried to reassure her I was fine as I rubbed her back and whispered how much I loved her against her ear._

_After a few minutes, she finally calmed down and moved back to look at me._

"_Don't you ever do that again, Edward Cullen. You promised you would call me..." _

_I grabbed her face in my hands and cut her off with a kiss. She moaned against my mouth when I placed my hands at her lower back, moving them over her ass and pulling her closer, if that was possible._

"_I'm so sorry," I told her when I moved from her mouth and licked and bit along her neck, "I'm so fucking stupid."_

"_I know," she breathed. "I need you, please. I just can't right now, I just...make love to me."_

_Her soft hands moved to my waist, her fingers pulling on the fabric of my shirt until she had it far enough under my arms. I groaned as I slammed the door shut, pushing her against it so I could hold her up and pull the shirt over my head._

_As soon as it was off, I had my mouth on hers again. She was wearing a shirt with buttons, so I made quick work of those and had it off of her easily. Her bra soon followed, and I held onto her before backing away from the door and walking to our room, never parting from her lips._

_I gently laid her on our bed, removing her pants before stepping out of my sneakers and removing mine._

_When I laid down next to her and pulled her to straddle me, I held her face in my hands. _

"_I love you so much," I told her, before I lined up and slowly entered her. _

"_I love you too, Edward."_

_I barely heard her, but I knew what she said._

_We both found our release slowly, neither one of us really willing to part from the other. _

_We made love throughout the day, stopping once to take a shower, as the soot was still caked on my face from the fire, but Bella never seemed to mind._

_We fell asleep in each other's arms that night, my arm wrapped tightly around her waist. _

_The nightmares started the next day, everytime I saw the young woman from the fire, her lifeless face turning to Bella's. _

_Every single time._

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

I broke away from the memory, shaking my head free from the thoughts it provoked.

The nightmares had been horrible, but only lasted a few weeks. When I would wake up, I would watch Bella sleep instead, and during that time, I realized that there would never be another woman for me. She was my other half, what I had been missing, the reason I needed to make sure I was safe.

_For her._

I shut my locker and made my way to the shower room. Setting my iPod in the shower radio and turning it on shuffle, I turned on the water as hot as I could stand it.

I hung my towel on the hook next to the shower that I was using, placing my change of clothes on the bench, before I undressed.

I checked the water before stepping in, immediately letting the hot stream run over my back as I placed my hands on the wall in front of me.

I stared at the floor watching the water swirl around the drain. I wondered what Bella was doing. It was ten at night, so I was sure she was either in bed or maybe watching a movie. She always liked to fall asleep with something playing when I wasn't home. The other night I came home to _Say Anything._

It was her favorite movie, and I wasn't surprised it was on since she made me watch it with her at least five times. She cried every time, and I had to keep a box of tissues handy for her spontaneous request to watch it.

I laughed to myself, remembering how cute she looked when I saw her passed out, tissue in one hand. She was sound asleep as I gave her a kiss, before I turned off the television and left the room. Before I made it out the door, I heard her mumble, 'I need you, Edward.'I needed her too.

The iPod shuffled to a new song, _Only You Can Love Me This Way_ by Keith Urban.

As I listened to the words, I knew exactly how I wanted to ask her to be my wife.

Right after my shift ended, I was going to get everything ready. I wasn't willing to let any more time pass by without that ring on her finger.

I moved my head under the water, letting it cover my hair, and when I went to rinse my face, I heard someone behind me. Turning slowly, my breath caught in my throat as my mind struggled to believe my eyes.

_Bella. Naked. Naked. Bella, at my work, in my shower room, naked._

I cleared my throat before letting out a choked, "Um, what are you...I mean, uh, hi."

She moved across the room, each step slower than the first.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Is everything alright?"

She had come to see me at the station before, but never naked, never in my shower. For lunch, yeah, but naked, no.

"I needed you."

She finally made it over to where I was standing, her fingers followed the paths of water over my shoulder, stopping right where my bunny trail ended. My stomach muscles flexed under her touch as she traced lines from hip bone to hip bone.

"I missed this," she whispered, her hands moving to lightly squeeze my already hard dick.

I was always ready for her. Just the sight of her fully clothed turned me on. Naked...well, that was a whole other story. 'Turned on' didn't come close to describing what she did to me.

"God, baby. I always need you."

I stopped her hand, grabbed her ass and pinned her against the wall.

"Edward, fuck...I need this."

She reached down, her hand squeezing me again as I roughly met her lips with mine.

My tongue met hers, and I groaned into her mouth as she pulled my bottom lip between her teeth.

There was nothing sweet about this. There was no time for foreplay, just the raw urge to be inside her...immediately.

When she pulled away from my mouth, and I saw her brown eyes, heard her shallow breaths, I knew she was ready.

I spit in my hand before reaching down and coating my dick, trying to block the water that was pouring over us from rinsing it off.

I checked with my hand to make sure she was wet, before I slid inside of her.

Luckily we had both been tested a few months ago, and she was on the pill. The last thing I wanted to do right now was put on a condom.

"Jesus, Bella. I need you so fucking much, always," I spoke against her ear.

I had to hold still for a minute to gain some slight form of control.

She was so warm and perfect, and every single time with her was like connecting to my other half.

I took a deep breath before grabbing her ass tighter with my left hand and bracing my right against the wall. The heels of her feet dug into the top of my ass, while her hands held onto the back of my neck.

Slowly, I started to move inside her. The leverage was incredible, and soon, I picked up a steady pace.

"Oh, God," she whimpered when I began moving faster. Her eyes were closed as she tilted her head back at an angle against the wall.

I could see the muscles in her neck tighten and release, and I tried to focus on that rather then how fucking incredible this felt.

My fingers gripped the grout lines of the tile as I shifted and entered her at a different angle, trying to find that spot that drove her insane. I began to pull out further before bringing her ass down onto my dick with more force.

I could feel the ache start, and I knew I was ready, but I would never go before she did.

I didn't know how I heard it between my own grunts and Bella's moans, but our song, _You Are Mine by Mutemath, _started playing. She must have heard it, too, because her eyes opened and connected with mine.

"You are mine, Bella," I groaned. "Nobody else but you."

There never would be another woman for me.

"I'm yours, nobody else but you," she moaned.

"Edward, I'm so close. Please, faster, harder."

I groaned as I did as she asked. When I knew she was right on the edge, I moved my mouth to her ear, pulling her lobe between my teeth and biting gently.

Her hands pulled harder on my hair as she fell apart around me. I knew she wanted to scream, but she kept it to low moans and pants while she squeezed and released my dick. Once she rode out her orgasm, I grabbed her hips with both hands with the top of her back against the wall.

It was my turn.

"Hang on," I groaned as she moved both of her hands to grip my arms.

I had the perfect angle to move one hand to her clit and continue the same pace. I didn't have to, but the feel of cumming while she was...there was nothing like it.

I moved my right hand to hold onto the front of her hip. I was fortunate enough to have long fingers, so I was able to reach my thumb to her clit while still having a good grip on her.

A few passes with my thumb and she started to moan louder as her back arched, pushing her beautiful breasts towards my face.

I couldn't resist taking one of her nipples in my mouth and flicked it fast and hard with my tongue.

"Edward, holy shit, oh God," she moaned a little louder then before.

As soon as I felt her squeeze and release my dick, I knew she was cumming again, and I let go.

I released her nipple and kissed her, part of me trying to muffle her screams and the other part wanted to be completely connected to her.

I groaned into her mouth while she moaned into mine, both of us trying to come down from our release together.

Once I felt her relax, I removed my lips from hers and slowly withdrew from her, before I helped her keep her balance as she stood up.

"Um, wow," she said as she leaned against the wall.

"Yeah, wow. Uh, why haven't we done that before?"

I was pretty sure this was in the top five or two of the best sex ever.

"I was just thinking the same thing," she said, smiling at me.

I couldn't help but smile right back.

We finished showering, both of us quiet as we helped to wash the other off. I wasn't looking forward to her leaving, and I didn't think she wanted to go either.

Once we were both dressed, we headed to the main room where the rest of the guys were. Both Jasper and Emmett were there and convinced me it was okay to leave, that they had it covered. They mentioned something about the new rookie, Mike, showing up earlier than he was supposed to. They'd told him he had to stay so they could show him the 'nighttime ropes'. I had no idea what the hell that was, but I was pretty sure it was just a good reason to fuck with him. I told Bella to go ahead of me, and I would meet her at home. I gave her a quick kiss and watched her leave, before I ran to my locker grabbed my bag and the ring.

On my way out, Emmett stopped me.

"So this is it, huh? You're finally gonna pop the question?"

He stood in front of me, arms crossed.

"Yup," I responded.

"You hurt her, and I will fucking kill you. You know that right?" Emmett practically growled at me.

I knew he was right, and if I ever did hurt her, he had every right to take me out. They were practically brother and sister. And it actually made me feel better to know if anything ever did happen to me, Emmett would look after her.

"You know better than that, and yes, I know you would kill me. I love her Emmett."

I moved to walk to the door but was stopped by a wall as he crushed me in a huge bear hug.

"I know you do, man. Good luck." He squeezed me even tighter.

"Can't breathe," I barely got out the words.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," he laughed as he let go. He patted my shoulder before he smiled and let me by.

"Thanks Em," I replied, grabbing my bag and pushing the box in my pocket before telling the rest of the guys a quick goodnight.

On the way home, I remembered Bella saying something about meeting a friend for breakfast in the morning. It was the perfect time to get everything ready.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We both fell asleep shortly after walking in the door last night, and now I could hear her footsteps as she walked around the room getting ready to leave. I never opened my eyes, wanting her to believe I was still asleep. I felt her kiss my cheek and heard her whisper 'I love you', before I heard the front door open and close.

I pushed the covers off of me, ran to the window and watched her back out of the driveway. I took a quick shower and threw on the best suit I had, a green button down shirt, with a black jacket and slacks.

I set the camera on the tripod in the living room, before I set the timer and got in place right in the middle of the room near the front door. I was on one knee, ring in hand extended in front of me as the picture snapped. I ended up taking about four pictures before I got it right and ran to print it out.

While I was waiting, I grabbed the note that I had written last night while she was sleeping. I woke up around three in the morning, as thoughts and words racing in my head wouldn't let me sleep. Luckily they hit the paper easily...

_Bella,_

_I'm sure you have no idea why there is a letter with your name printed on it attached to the door. Let me explain... _

_I knew from the first moment I laid eyes on you that I had found the one thing I was missing. When I started spending more time with you, I realized you were it for me. Nobody could ever love me like you, and I could never love anyone like I love you. _

_You make me want to be a better man. _

_I know I would never be the same without you in my life. You filled a part of me that I never knew needed to be filled. You're everything to me, my lover, my best friend._

_I want to spend the rest of my life walking with your hand in mine. _

_Always._

_Edward_

The picture finished printing, and I let it dry before writing on the back.

_Marry me?_

I placed the picture in an envelope, sealed it, before I added it to a larger envelope with the letter. I wrote Bella on the front and secured it to the front door.

All I had to do now was wait.

Forty-five minutes later, I heard a car door shut, and I ran to the window. She fumbled with her keys, before she stopped to look at the door. I got into place and heard the brush of paper against the door before the distinct sound of paper ripping open.

A minute later, I heard a second rip of paper and a small sob before the front door opened. I saw her face, and my heart stopped.

Tears stained her cheeks, the letter with my picture in one hand, her purse in the other while she just looked at me.

Her bottom lip was trembling.

It was now or never.

"Marry me, Bella?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**A/N: As always thanks to my beta Sparagus! **

**;o)**


End file.
